The present invention relates to tampons, and more particularly to a tampon wetness, substances and other parameters detection system signaling a remote-reporting device of the wetness of the tampon, of presence and/or concentration of specific the substances and/or the parameters magnitude. The remote-reporting device according to preferred embodiments of the present invention not only alerts the user of the present condition of the tampon, rather it also records for later retrieval and analysis information for research, diagnosis and treatment, if so required.
Present-day users of tampons have to use a destructive test in order to ascertain whether a tampon has residual absorbent capacity remaining. That is, the tampon must be removed to see if it is full, and even if it is not full, the tampon is not reinserted. Generally a user removes a tampon before it has reached its capacity in order to prevent an accident wherein the capacity of the tampon is exceeded and the excess menses flows unimpeded from the vagina to soil the user""s clothing.
In tampons as presently known, a determinative criterion frequently used for removing a tampon is time elapsed since insertion. The time elapsed criteria for changing tampons is not satisfactory for several reasons, e.g., the menstrual flow rate varies throughout the menstruating period and much adsorbent capacity of tampons is wasted due to the tendency to change before an accident occurs.
The flow variation throughout the period causes problems as to how long to wear a tampon because a user cannot establish a definite time period for which the absorbent capacity within a tampon is sufficient. Therefore, she is in a quandary as to how long to wear specific tampons during days of heavy flow as contrasted to day of light flow.
A correlation between tampon performance during light flow versus heavy flow is difficult for the user to make. Thus, since the user would rather be safe than sorry, she frequently removes a tampon before the absorbent capacity of the tampon has been reached and wastes much of the product she had purchased.
The prior tampon art tried to make tampons bigger and more absorbent so that a user would not have to change as often. But the user would still waste a portion of the absorbent capacity she had purchased in that she still was not willing to have an accident.
Therefore, bigger tampons provided a longer wearing time but did not approach the problem of fully using the absorbent capacity within a tampon without soiling her clothing. In rare cases, should a user forget to remove a tampon a life threatening infection may develop.
These problems associated with the use of tampons were recognized and solutions proposed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,024 to Kokx discloses an indicator in contact with the absorbent body of a catamenial device. The indicator xe2x80x9creadsxe2x80x9d the wetness of the absorbent body and translates the wetness into a signal, which can be sensed without removing the catamenial device. Change in temperature (heat generation or consumption by dissolving material) or color formation are used as indicators.
However, both these approaches suffer limitations. The amount of heat generated or consumed depends upon the reaction rate. If it is slow, heat dissipation will prevent sensing the signal. Color indication, on the other hand, requires an intimate inspection by the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,627 to Levesque discloses a method and apparatus for measuring the capillary attraction developed at a surface of an absorbent body intended to be used in a sanitary article such as a sanitary napkin, a diaper, a urinary pad, an adult brief, a tampon or a wound dressing, among others. The apparatus comprises a probe of fritted glass providing an array of capillary passageways in fluid communication with the interior of a closed cell completely filled with liquid. A pressure sensor mounted to the closed cell observes the liquid pressure therein. When the probe is placed in contact with the absorbent body, the capillary attraction exerted on liquid in the probe capillaries by the porous network of the absorbent body is transmitted through the liquid medium in the cell to the pressure sensor. The pressure data thus obtained reflects the state of dryness of the absorbent body surface. The capillary attraction measurement is made with no appreciable transfer of liquid toward the absorbent body to avoid altering its condition.
While the invention by Levesque is suitable of measuring the capillary attraction developed at the surface of externally used absorbent bodies, it is not at all applicable for a vaginally inserted tampon. Furthermore, a wetness test using the disclosed device requires intimacy.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,236 to Everhart discloses a disposable feminine care product which includes a chemically reactive means having an end point adapted to provide a visual indication of the presence of a substance in mammalian bodily excrement. However, a wetness test using the disclosed device requires intimacy.
Similar solutions, which include visual indication of the wetness of the tampon, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,192,311 to Felfoldi; and 5,217,444 to Schoenfeld.
Visual indications of wet diapers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,952,746 to Summers; 4,231,370 to Mroz; 4,287,153 to Towsend; 4,327,731 to Powell; 4,507,121 to Leung; 4,705,513 to Sheldon et al.; 4,738,674 to Todd et al.; and 5,197,958 to Howell.
Conductivity based indication of wet diapers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,266,928 and 5,469,145 to Johnson; 4,205,672 to Dvorak; 4,484,573 to Yoo; 4,704,108 to Okada; 4,796,014 to Chia; and 5,568,128 to Nair. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,356,818 to Macias et al.; 4,653,491 and 4,754,264 to Okada et al. disclose remote wetness informing device using an oscillator and receiver.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a tampon wetness detection system devoid of the above limitations, which is also useful in collecting information of vaginal secretions.
According to the present invention there is provided a detection system which can be assembled in a tampon and be used to provide a remote-reporter with information regarding the wetness of the tampon, its remaining absorbent capacity, and the concentration of various substances and the magnitude of various parameters in vaginal secretions.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below, the system comprising (a) a housing having a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end being shaped and dimensioned insertable into a distal end of a tampon, the proximal end of the housing being fluid permeable; (b) a radio frequency identification device being in the housing, the radio frequency identification device including a transmitter; (c) a conductive wetness sensor being in the proximal end of the housing and in electrical communication with the radio frequency identification device, such that when the conductive wetness sensor senses wetness the radio frequency identification device is operable; and (d) a remote-reporting device including a receiver for receiving a radio signal concerning the wetness of the tampon from the radio frequency identification device and further including a reporting mechanism for reporting a user of the wetness of the tampon.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the housing has a shape of a thumb tack (nail).
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below, the system comprising (a) a tampon assembly including (i) an absorbent body insertable into a vagina; (ii) a radio frequency identification device being implemented in contact with the body, the radio frequency identification device including a transmitter; and (iii) a conductive wetness sensor being implemented in intimate contact with the body, the conductive wetness sensor being in electrical communication with the radio frequency identification device, such that when the conductive wetness sensor senses wetness the radio frequency identification device is operable; and (b) a remote-reporting device including a receiver for receiving a radio signal concerning the wetness of the tampon from the radio frequency identification device and further including a reporting mechanism for reporting a user of the wetness of the tampon.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the tampon assembly further includes a plurality of conductive wetness sensors being implemented in intimate contact with and along the body, each of the plurality of conductive wetness sensors being in electrical communication with the radio frequency identification device, such that when any of the conductive wetness sensors senses wetness the radio frequency identification device is operable for providing a sensor specific radio signal, so that information of tampon available wetness capacitance is obtainable.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments any of the systems further comprising a remote-prompting device for promoting the radio frequency identification device to transmit the radio signal.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the remote-reporting device and the promoting device are integrated into a remote-reporting and prompting device.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the radio frequency identification device of any of the above systems is selected from the group consisting of passive radio frequency identification device and active radio frequency identification device.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the conductive wetness sensor of any of the above systems include two spaced metal plates (electrodes) and an absorbent substance disposed therebetween, such that when the absorbent substance becomes wet, the sensor becomes conductive.
According to another embodiment there is provided a tampon assembly comprising (a) an absorbent body insertable into a vagina; (b) a radio frequency identification device being implemented in contact with the body, the radio frequency identification device including a transmitter; and (c) a sensor being implemented in contact with the body, the sensor being in electrical communication with the radio frequency identification device, such that when the sensor senses a substance or parameter the radio frequency identification device is operable.
According to yet another embodiment there is provided a system for detecting a substance or a parameter of a body fluid comprising (a) a tampon assembly comprising (i) an absorbent body insertable into a vagina; (ii) a radio frequency identification device being implemented in contact with the body, the radio frequency identification device including a transmitter; and (iii) a sensor being implemented in contact with the body, the sensor being in electrical communication with the radio frequency identification device, such that when the sensor senses a substance or parameter the radio frequency identification device is operable; and (b) a reporting device including a receiver for receiving a radio signal from the radio frequency identification device and further including a reporting mechanism for reporting a user of the wetness of the tampon.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the sensor is in intimate contact with the absorbent body and further wherein the radio frequency identification device communicated with the sensor via a wire.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the sensor communicates with the absorbent body via a capillary string and further wherein the sensor and the radio frequency identification device are integrated into a single device connected to the string.
The present invention successfully addresses the shortcomings of the presently known configurations by providing a detection system that can be assembled in a tampon and be used to provide a remote-reporter with information concerning the wetness of the tampon, its remaining capacity, concentration of substances and magnitude of parameters in vaginal secretion.
One object of the present invention is to provide a tampon which can be worn until essentially all of the absorbent capacity of a tampon is depleted.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tampon having a sensor which senses wetness in at least the last effective portion of the tampon and transmits its readings upon request to a remote-reporter, thereby to avoid the need for intimate inspection by the user.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a tampon having a sensor which senses substances and/or parameters of vaginal secretions and transmits its readings upon request to a reporter.